Amusement apparatus



M; AND H. STUE'HRER.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATlON HLED DECJ 1920. 1,373,108, Pawnd m2119211.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Haw 'oehnen M. AND H. STOEHR'ER.

v AMUSENLENT APPARATUS. APPLlcATmN msn DEcJ, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1V/rg. 2.

Patented Mar. 29, 192'1.

zoy

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAX STOEHRER AND HAROLD STOEHRER, OF METHUEN, HASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORST0 STOEHBER & PRATT DODGEN CORPORATION, OF LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS,

A CORPORATION.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

g Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

Application led December 7I 1920. Serial No.v lit-8,997.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MAX S'ronnnnn and HAROLD STOEHRER, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Methuen, in the county operator.

That is to sa ,the present invention proposes to provi e a novelamusement apparatus including a floor, platform or other area havingthereon a plurality of independently manipulated occupant-controlledcars or vehicles supported in such a manner that, in the hands of anunskilled operator,

'they will follow a promiscuous, irregular,

l or undefined pathover the floor or other area, to not only producevarious sensations during the travel of the vehicle but to collide withother cars as well as with portions of the platform provided for thatpurpose. In this connection, it is proposed to provide an entirely safedevice that may be readily controlled by the operator through thestopping ofthe motive el`ement, but which during the operation of thelatter, re uires the utmost skill and attention of t e occupant-driverto cause the car or vehicle to dodge other vehicles or obstructions onthe floor.

Therefore, it will be apparent that a general object of the invention isto provide an amusement device including what may be termed a runningfield or -arena having thereona plurality of independently voperatedcars or vehicles capable of being steered by the occupant to dodge oravoid other cars or obstacles, but which normally have a tendency tocompel the operator to follow a pathA of travel or course other than astraight and direct path.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide anapparatus of a type that may conveniently utilize electric currentas themotive power for driving the motors of the individual cars, and to thisend, it is roposed to make the floor one electrode of) the circuit overwhich the drive ing wheel ofthe motor travels, and through l which thecurrent is conducted to the motor, while the other electrode is anoverhead conductor coextensive with the floor and traversed nby atrolley connected with the motor.

With the above and other objects in view Y which will more readilyappear as the nav ture of the invention is better understood,

the sameconsists in the novel construction, combination and arrangementof parts,

hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the inventionl is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure l isa plan view, partly insection, of the platform of the apparatus showing a plurality of carspositioned thereon.

Fig. 2 is a detail vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1showing the overhead and platform conductors and one of.

the cars located on the latter. Y

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of one of the cars clearly illustrating theunguided supporting rollers and the occupant steered and motor driventraction unit.

Similar reference'numerals `designate corresponding parts throughout the`several figures of the drawings.'

The apparatus embodying the present invention is capable of being made apermanent structure atv amusement resorts and the like, or on the otherhand it may bejconvenintly set up at carnivals, fairs and other placesof amusement, and, while in the present embodiment, the individual carsare intendedto-befelectrically driven, it will of Y hicles capablefbeing steered to dodge Jor clear other vehicles, but by reason ofpeculiar structural features, are compelled to more or lesspiollow anuncertain course which frequently results in collisions with .other `CMSandffwith the sides of the inyclosure to produce sensations and thrillsnot 55 switch20 isl obtainable.y through devices which are intendedtofollow a direct or straightpath as inthe case ofthe ordinaryautomobile.v

n I-n carrying'theY inventioninto effect,` the Mplatfcrmor running`field 1 ispreferably inclosediby suitablev relatively stout sills 2 orthe like which constitute the banks or bumpersrfor preventin theA carsfrom leavingfV the platform, whi e the surface of the latter isf'efcra'bly covered Witha plurality of metaliic sheetsn electricallyconnected or 'bonded-'so aste makef in effect'a continuousmealliselectrode; 3L which @Overs *he entire A playingrandjes-pianura;This metallic wire's'i'ilfofanelectric circuit while the otherelectrode@ is connectedwith one*l of the is connected" with an overheadconductor 6 A aroux'idA the edges: of the supported onthe frame-work 7located latform -1 and serving tofsupport the con uctor 6 in such .1 amannerirthat it is entirely coextensive with thev metallicv electrode 3.Any suitable and p' convenient'material may be used. for the overheadconductor or electrode 6, and .as showme-suitableand readily obtainablew1re 'a meshmay bey used.

The conductorfsurface of they platformV 1 sup orts a plurality ofindependently steered? and controlled cars C of the general typedisclosed in my cfpending application b'erialf Number 369,381

, AS shown-lin Fig. 2, these; cars preferably y l'con'si'stof .aibase orfloor 8 supported on a 'pluralityfofunguided rollers 9pof the castertype,V while theupper sidefof the platform 'carriesI an; operators seatk10- and steering 'device 11 forcontrolling the pro 'fetractionfpnit-l2`f.swiveled in. the

' centrically steering" thro elling or oorv 8, echereof, and shiftedlbythe said A Y ughthew'sprocket and chainconhections 13,14-and15, vthelatter s 15 being af part of the inotor assem- `jb yi@ The saidtractionk device 12 includes l rectlon throu a ',f driven'by asultableelectric-motor 17. This the' main 'traction 1 orf vdriving wheel16 adapted to` be shi'ftedor rotated in any dil1 the,V steering` deviceand motor 17 rvhas` one of itsterminals grounded through the'tractionwheel 16 that travels Y ,on the conductor-3 of the platform,while.

.' g the" other terminal is connected by an. overshown,augmen ted bythecoil sprmgs 22.

Another feature of improvement the led March 27, 1920..

v It is proposed to v equl each. of' the cars around the oor 8 withsuitable shock 1 1 ments 21 which lmay be of the fiat spring type v carsshown herein is that of supplementing the support for the floor of thecar by a fixed roller in addition to the unguided rollers of the castertype. That is to say, while it is proposed to retain the unguided casterfeature it is proposed to introduce another element of uncertainty incombination with said unguided rollers and eccentric traction unit,namely a fixed roller which at times acts as a pivot as will presentlyappear.

As shown in Fig. 3, it will be observed that the roller 9, which ispreferably located in the same circumferential line as the unguidedrollers 9, is fixed or stationary as distinguished from swiveled and hasits tread surface always disposed in the samorelatively fixed position.,lVhen the traction Wheelv 16 and fixed 'roller 9 are in alinement, thecar may be driven over a straight path but when the traction wheel C 16is thrown out of alinement with the fixed roller, the latter will actmore or less as a pivot which will cause the car to swing out of itsstraight path and also disarrange the positions of the unguided casterswhich has the effect of throwing the car in an unexpected direction. Ifthe momentum of the car is considerable when the change of direction ismade the fixed roller may skid. The attempts of the operator` to stopthe promiscuous motion of the car, of coursc, involves the manipulationof the steering unit in various directions, and each shifting of thetraction unit naturally has a tendency to shift the car in a differentdirection, the unguided casters contributing to the irregular movementbecause the are not controlled by the operator. T erefore, it will be'seen that in addition to the unguided supporting rollers 9, it isproposed to provide a relatively fixed roller which has the effect ofintroducing a new factor into the manipulation of the car whichmaterially increases the difiiculty of progress or travel to theinexperienced operator or driver.

From the foregoing, it is believed to be apparent that the presentinvention has particularly in view an apparatus consisting of a pluraltyof individually dirigible cars adapted for promiscuous travel over acommon surface, and which in the hands of an unskilled operator followan irregular and undefined path,but are capable of being given adefinite path of movement in the hands of a skilled operator to dodge orescape collisions with other cars or the sidesV of the platform. Thisfeature has the effect of creating an interest in the o eration of thecar that is fascinating as we l as amusing, and until the operatorbecomes skilled inthe manipulation furnishes many novel sensations andthrills'sought by pleasure seakers in the use of devices of this characer.

This application is a continuation in part of our former applicationSerial No. 369381 filed March 27, 1920, as to allsubject matter incommon.

Without further description, it is believed that novelty as well as thefeatures of construction and operation will be readil apparent to thoseskilled in the art, and 1t will of course be understood that changes maybe resorted to within the sco of the apended claims without departingfrom t e spirit of the invention.

1. An amusement device consistingrof the combination of a running iloor,an electrically charged ceiling structure, a 'car hav# ing uncontrolledtravelinv supports free to travel upon the running oor 1n any direc'-tion, a manually shiftable motor driven' combined guiding and tractionunit, and an electrical trolley having a promiscuous traveling`engagement with the charged ceiling.

2. n amusement device comprising in combination2 a running floor, anelectrically charged ceiling structure, a car having uncontrolledtraveling supports free to travel upon the runnin loor 1n any direction,a

' manually control ed motor driven traction unit ada tedto beuniversally shifted about a vertica axis so as to have a promiscuousguiding movement over said floor, and an electrical trolley having aromiscuous traveling engagement with t e charged 3. n amusement devicecomprising in combination, a running floor included in an electricalcircuit, an electrically charged ceiling structure, a car havinguncontrolled traveling supports free to move in any direction upon thesaid running oor, a single [combined guiding and traction unit mountedto be shifted universally about a vertical axis, and an electricaltrolley `having a promiscuous travelingengagement with the chargedceiling.

4. An amusement device consisting ofy the combination of a runningiloor,a car promiscuously movable thereon2 said car having a plurality offreely swiveled supporting rollers permanently carried thereby, andmanually steerable motor-means for driving one of said swiveled rollers.

5. An amusement device including a car platform, a plurality of swiveledsupporting elements permanently carried by the platform for permittingmovement thereof in any direction, means for drivin ,one of saidelements, and means for steering said driven element.

6. An amusement device including a car platform, a vplurality ofuncontrolled supporting elements carried. by the latform for permittingmovement in any irection, said elements being arranged 1n substantiallythe same horizontal circular plane, and a traction unit universallshiftable about a vertical axis and locate inside the circle of thesupporting elements.

7. In an amusement device including a car platform having a plurality ofuncontroll'ed supporting elements for permitting movement of theplatform in any direction 9. An amusement apparatus includinlgr a carhaving a plurality of relatively ee self-adjusting supporting rollers, arelatively fixed supporting roller, and a dirigible traction unitdisposed eccentric to the vertical axis of the car body.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aiix our signatures in the presence oftwo witp IIBSSBS.

YMax s'roEi-IRER. HAROLD sToE-HRER.

Witnesses:

Josnrn M. Hanonoon, WILLIAM F. Moms.

